THE PARENTS of poorly Coventry tot Eleana Hastings are looking forward to a new beginning in a new-look home – thanks to Telegraph readers.

Speaking from Eleana’s bedside at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, mum Francesca and dad Darren said words cannot express the immense gratitude they feel for the way the people of Coventry have taken the family to their hearts – after a nightmare 18 months.

They are astonished by the outpouring of support they have received in only a week since we first issued our call for Telegraph readers and businesses to help ‘Make a home for Eleana’ – and give her a settled family life for the first time.

The 18-month-old was born prematurely and became Britain’s tiniest baby to undergo open heart surgery at nine days old. Since then she’s spent virtually her whole life in intensive care.

“We were expecting to do all the work ourselves, then family and friends offered to lend a hand. We never expected anything like this.

“It’s incredible.

“Darren and I have already said ‘how are we going to thank all these people?’

“The word thank you just isn’t enough.”

She knew a friend planned to contact the Telegraph asking for help refurbishing the family’s terraced home in Cheylesmore, so they could bring Eleana home after appeals to TV makeover shows failed to get a response.

But she was blissfully unaware of how quickly it snowballed with generous offers of help worth thousands of pounds.

Donations continue to roll in to help pay for work and materials to transform a council-funded ground floor extension.

“It all means we can go home and live, not just exist,” she added, “although it won’t mean the end to the saga with Eleana’s health.

“Her ventilator and tracheotomy, they will all come home with us, her bedroom will be a hospital from home with all the equipment.

“That said, this will give us all a good quality of life at home without having to worry about the DIY jobs that need doing.”

It will be Eleana’s first experience of a settled family life at home, despite a brief 16-day stay when she was discharged in June last year.

The family thought she was on the road to recovery but she took a huge turn for the worst later the next day.

She was admitted to A&E at University Hospital and was in and out of the hospital for the whole 16 days before being readmitted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she spent a year-long stretch in intensive care.

Eleana was recently moved out of intensive care and doctors have said she can now be cared for at home – but that can only happen when the building work is complete.

The family has made Eleana’s hospital room a home-from-home with toys and family photos on the walls, and three-year-old Alfie plays on the floor as Francesca speaks.

“This is all Alfie’s ever known,” she said. “He leads a double life and sees the hospital like his home.”The family dreams of spending this Christmas at home altogether. They marked last year’s festivities at Ronald McDonald House, accommodation next door to the hospital for families with children there.

“Last Christmas was horrific,” said Francesca, “Eleana had taken a dramatic nosedive the day before Christmas Eve and she was hanging on. We were pumping her with drugs just to keep her going.

“The kids opened their presents here and we had no family around because everyone was away enjoying their Christmases.

“I told myself then that this year we’ll be at home for Christmas, in our own relaxing surroundings.”

It has been extremely tough for dad Darren, 37, who cares for the rest of the family while mum lives in Birmingham to be close to Eleana.

He was also made redundant from his job as a driver for a courier firm two months ago, but remains positive for the sake of the family.